Food Stamps Face Cuts Amid Government Shutdown

Millions of Americans receiving food stamps could face having their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) disrupted if the government shutdown—which entered its third week on Saturday—continues into February.

The partial government shutdown that began last month currently affects approximately one quarter of U.S. government departments, including the Department of Agriculture which supervises SNAP at the federal level.

The program has not been allocated funding from Congress past this month, and although Congress has set aside $3 billion as emergency funds, the amount isn’t enough to cover all recipients of food stamps throughout February. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the cost of food stamps average $4.8 billion per month.

In 2017, 42 million U.S. citizens were on food stamps at some point throughout the year, with over 68 percent being families with children and more than 44 percent in working families, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/food-stamps-face-cuts-amid-government-shutdown/ar-BBRSyYG